1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the cutting of metal, for example, sheet metal. Typical cutting devices utilize a cutting tool with a holder and a specialized insert chosen for the cut desired. The present invention discloses an improved cutting insert for use in cutting metal.
2. Summary of Related Art
Known cutting devices utilize at least one cutting insert and a holder, which aligns the cutting inserts in the proper alignment for the desired trimming of the metal.
A known cutting insert is cut from a square blank and has two opposing edges with three cutting channels each and the other two opposing edges have 2 channels each, for a total of 10 channels. Each of these channels, in the known insert, are rounded (semi-circular). This insert, being of necessity asymmetrical about its central axis (because of the varying number of channels) must be removed and repositioned or aligned (reindexed) each time a different cutting channel is selected. This is very inefficient and greatly decreases the efficiency of the production runs. In addition, the known inserts produce finished product with burrs, which must then be ground down to a suitable finish.
Additionally, the known inserts are of limited durability, sometimes yielding as few as ten cuts before damage to the insert yields it unusable.
While this known insert is suitable for the intended purpose, a more time and cost efficient solution would be preferable.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to maximize the service life of the cutting insert in a metal cutting tool.
A further object of the invention to increase the throughput of a metal cutting device compared to known metal cutting devices.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cutting insert which does not have to be realigned each time an alternative cutting channel is selected.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a smoother, essentially burr free surface of the cut metal portions, after cutting by the improved cutting tool.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for cutting and shaping metal surfaces utilizing the improved tool of the present invention.